The Red Eye Express
by Cian'Perrel
Summary: Alison Blaire has just turned 18, and is headed for a night out on the town with the girls to celebrate. What she gets instead is a night where secrets are revealed. Can she save her friendships? And, will she finally get the man of her dreams?


Disclaimer: I do not own the X-men or any other Marvel characters. The only thing that is mine is the plot.

A/N: This story doesn't really fit into any of the standard Marvel Universes, so let me give you a brief overview of what's going on here. This story takes place back when Xavier was still running the X-Men, and the second generation of X-Men were starting to appear. The Phoenix Saga hasn't happened yet, and Jean and Scott never got together; she is dating a guy from college. The characters and their ages are as follows; Cyclops (Scott) 22, Jean Grey 22, Rogue (Anna) 19, Colossus (Peter) 19, Moonstar (Danielle) 18, Dazzler (Alison) 18, and Shadowcat (Kitty) 17.

Feel free to review, and be completely honest (I'm a big boy, and can take criticism).

'_italics_' - denotes thoughts.

_**bold italics**_ - denotes song lyrics.

**The Red Eye Express**

Hi, my name is Alison Blaire, and I'm a mutant (wow, that sounded like an intro for an AA meeting); I have the power to convert sound into coherent light. Anyways, I've been living here at the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning for about four years now. I've been learning how to control my powers while still attending high school classes. Two days ago I turned eighteen and Professor Xavier held a party at the Institute, so everyone could celebrate with me; but tonight, I'm going for a girls night out to really celebrate.

All the other girls at the institute are older then me already, with the exception of Kitty, but her computer skills have come in handy; she now has a fake ID that looks better then my actual ID. We decide to have a night on the town, and check out the local bar scene.

I get dressed and meet the girls in the garage; Jean is going to drive us in her SUV. I hop into the passenger seat, while Kitty, Anna, and Danielle squeeze into the back. I notice Scott's car and Logan's motorcycle are both missing, but seeing as it's a Friday night, think nothing of it.

We head into town, eager to start celebrating. Jean decides that it'll be easier to park the SUV and walk. Surprising us all, Jean suggests he hit a strip club first; Kitty turns redder then a tomato. I tell them that we can go later; right now I want to hear some good music and dance. Anna points at a bar across the street and says that they're advertising a live band.

We start crossing the street, and I happen to glace at the parking lot. I spot Scott's car (it's hard to miss a cherry red '57 corvette) and start to get a little nervous. I look around for a poster or something with the bands name, and feel my stomach drop as I catch the name. I turn to suggest that we go somewhere else, but Danielle and Anna are already inside. I pay the cover charge, and head in.

I glance up at the stage and see that it's set up but the band isn't playing yet; I know, however, that any minute now, a secret I promised to keep three years ago, is about to be revealed to my friends.

*****

_Three Years Earlier_

'_Stupid finals._' I think to myself. '_How can they put so much pressure on kids like this?_' I role over in my bed, unable to sleep. I look at the clock and see that it's almost two in the mourning. '_Maybe I just need a little walk to clear my head._' I get up and quietly sneak to my balcony. One great thing about this mansion is the ivy covered wall outside my window. I climb down to the grass and start walking towards the lake.

I'm about halfway there when I hear sounds coming from the stables. I change directions and notice, the closer I get, that the sounds I heard is actually music. I try to make as little noise as possible as I approach. I peak in through the window and can see Scott sitting on a bundle of hay, playing guitar. '_No way._' I think. '_I never would have thought that he was the musical type._' Then he starts to sing, and I realize that he has a really nice singing voice.

I listen to him for a while, but duck down when he stops playing and looks my way. "Ali?" he asks out loud. "You might as well come out; I can see your powers glowing." I look down and swear; I hadn't been focusing on my powers, and now I have a glow surrounding my body. "Come in here, please."

I stand up and head into the stable with my head down, and say, "I'm sorry, Scott. I was just going for a walk and heard music coming from the stables. I didn't know it was you." I look up, expecting him to be mad; instead he is looking down at his guitar, and seems embarrassed.

"Ah, Ali, I would appreciate it if you didn't tell anyone about this."

"Ah, okay...why?"

"Because, it's embarrassing."

"But you're good; at least, I think so." I smile at him.

He looks up at me and actually blushes. "Thanks; but I would still rather nobody knows about this."

"So wait; nobody knows you play guitar and sing?"

"Well, the Professor knows, you can't keep any secrets from him, and Logan caught me once; but no one else at the Institute knows."

"How long have you been doing it?"

"Since the Professor brought me to the Institute five years ago. Please promise me you'll keep it a secret?" he pleads.

"Okay, I promise." I say, and he sighs in relief. "But only if you let me come listen to you once and a while."

"Ah...okay, I guess."

"Great." I say as I sit down on another bundle of hay and look at him.

"What?" he asks.

"Well, aren't you going to continue?"

"Right now? It's getting late, and we have school tomorrow."

"Nice try, Scott; my only exam is at two, and you finished you finals last week. Besides, I can't sleep right now, anyways." He sees that I'm not going to leave, so he starts strumming his guitar. I listen to him play for almost an hour before we sneak back into the mansion.

Okay, I'll admit it, that night I started crushing on Scott; but he only has eyes for Jean, and she only has eyes for her boyfriend, Trevor. And yes, he's almost four years older then me, but I can't help it; he shared a part of himself with me that no one ever gets to see.

*****

Over the next three years, I would sneak out to the stables to listen to him play, and he even managed to get me to sing a few songs with him. I was surprised when he told me that he had started a band with some friends, and that they were practicing in one the guys' garages.

Three months ago he had told me that his band _The Red Eye Express_ had started playing gigs in town; now, here I was, with four girls from the Institute, sitting in a bar that his band was scheduled to play in.

"Alright, since I'm the only one _legally_ allowed to buy alcohol, I'm getting us a pitcher of Margarita's; but I expect someone to buy me a private dance at the strip club later." Jean says, as she gets up and walks over to the bar.

"I never would have pictured Jean as the _strip club_ type, you know? I thought things were good with her and Trevor." Danielle says.

"They are good; in fact she's expectin' a proposal by Christmas." Anna says.

Before anyone can say anything else, Jean returns with the pitcher and five glasses. She pours everyone a glass, and then raises it in toast. "To Alison, Happy Birthday." The other three echo Jean and they drink.

About halfway through our first glass, Kitty says, "Like, when is the band gonna start playing? This house music sucks."

"Here we go; it looks like they're getting ready to start." Jean says, as the drummer and bassist climb on stage. "Hey, that looks like Scott's friend Ricky."

"Where?" Anna asks.

"The drummer."

"Hey, it is. I didn't know he played the drums."

A girl gets on stage and picks up a guitar while another guy heads over to the keyboard station. A final guy gets on stage; Anna gasps, while Jean says, "Oh my God, is that Scott?"

Kitty starts looking around the bar. "Scott's here? Where?"

"That's him all right." Danielle says. "On stage Kitty." she adds.

Kitty looks towards the stage just as Scott finishes adjusting his guitar. "Like, no way; Scott's in a band?"

I try to duck so that he doesn't see me, and am glad to see the other girls follow suit. 'Thank God the bar is pretty full, maybe he won't see us.' I think to myself.

Before I can suggest that we try and sneak out, the house music stops and I hear Scott's voice over the speakers. "Good evening, everybody, thank you for coming. We are _The Red Eye Express_, and we'll be the entertainment for tonight. I'll just make some quick introductions; my name is Scott. On Keyboard we have Eric." Eric plays a quick series of tunes. "We have Marco on Base." Marco strums a few notes. "Ricky on drums." Ricky pounds out a quick beat. "And last, but certainly not least, the lovely and talented Eva on guitar." Eva plays a few notes. "Alright, let's not waste anymore of your time." Scott starts playing the guitar, and the show starts.

I want to leave before he sees us, but I can't help watching him on stage. He looks so happy and free; unlike the closed off, professional person he always is at the Institute. He also looks very attractive; something that I can see has not escaped the notice of many of the women in the bar. He has let his hair grow to shoulder length, that he usually keeps tied in a neat little ponytail at the Institute, but tonight, he let's it swing free. Our drinks forgotten, we all sit there and listen to the band play. Almost an hour later, Scott calls for a ten minute break.

"Alright, now's our chance." I say.

"Our chance?" Kitty asks.

"Yeah, our chance to get out of here before Scott sees us." I reply.

"I'm afraid it's too late for that, Ali." I hear Scott say from behind me. I turn and watch as he pulls up a chair between Kitty and me. "What are you girls doing here?" he says, before glancing at Kitty. "Let me guess; fake ID?" She gives him an impish smile before looking down at the table.

"We were out celebrating Alison's birthday, and decided to come see a live band." Jean says, and I can feel Scott's eyes on me. "That's not important. Since when have you been in a band? And why haven't you told any of us before?"

"Well I don't think that matters right now. I see a minor sitting next to me, and you bought alcohol for four underage girls, Jean." I can hear the anger in his voice, even though he doesn't raise the volume of his voice.

Jean, however, is unable to prevent her voice from rising as she gets angry. "Oh stop trying to change the subject and act all _in-charge_. What are you going to do, tell on us?"

As Scott opens his mouth to reply, I place a hand on his arm. He looks at me and whispers, "I trusted you." then he gets up and marches off.

"Argh! The nerve of that guy!" Jean says.

I get up and follow Scott. I catch him just before he climbs back on stage. "Scott, wait." He stops and turns to face me; even with his glasses on, I can see that he's feeling hurt. "I'm sorry. It was an accident; you have to believe me. We were just looking for a place to listen to some music and have a drink or two. I only noticed it was your band when it was too late."

"What does it matter? They know now, and by lunch tomorrow, so will everyone else at the Institute."

"It matters to me, Scott. I don't want you being mad at me for something that was a complete accident. I never broke my promise to you; not once, in three years."

I guess he could hear the sincerity in my voice, because he places a hand on my shoulder and says, "I'm sorry, Ali; I had no reason to accuse you like that. It's just..."

"I know; although I don't know why you're embarrassed, you are amazing."

He smiles sheepishly, "Thanks."

"No, I'm serious. From the moment you started playing, none of us even said a word; you were so good."

"Hold on a sec." he tells me as he jumps up on stage and says something to Eric, who goes and talks to the other members of the band. He jumps back down and takes my hand. "Well, if everyone is going to know about me, they're also going to know about you." he pulls me up on stage with him.

"Scott, what are you doing?"

He pulls me to where his mic is and says, "Excuse me, if I could just have everyone's attention for a second. Before we continue, I would like to introduce a friend of mine, Alison. It was her birthday two days ago, and in celebration, she's going to sing a song for you all tonight."

"What? Nononononononono. Scott, no."

He pulls me in front of him and holds me against him while Eric places the guitar over our heads. Scott let's me go, but immediately grabs the guitar, pinning me between him and it. He leans down and whispers in my ear, "Come on, Ali; time to show these people what you can do."

I cover my face with my hands and say, "Please, Scott; I can't do this."

"Nonsense, Ali, you're an awesome singer." He pauses before saying, "If it helps, just do what I do; imagine it's just the two of us singing in the stables." My heart jumps in my chest and I peak out between my fingers to see him smiling at me.

He reaches out and adjusts the height of the mic so it's closer to me (what? I'm five-five and he's six-three). He then glances over his shoulder at the band and nods. "Get ready, Ali; we're going to sing _Picture_ (*)." He starts strumming his guitar, and I realize that this is really going to happen. He starts singing:

**_Living my life in a slow hell_**

**_Different girl every night at the hotel_**

**_I ain't seen the sunshine in three damn days_**

**_Been fueling up on cocaine and whiskey_**

**_Wish I had a good girl to miss me_**

**_Oh I wonder if I'll ever change my ways_**

**_I put your picture away_**

**_Sat down and cried today_**

**_I can't look at you while I'm lying next to her_**

**_I put you picture away_**

**_Sat down and cried today_**

**_I can't look at you while I'm lying next to her_**

This is my part of the song, and I'm freaking' out. I keep my eyes closed as I remove my hands from my face, and imagine that I'm in the stables, alone, with Scott playing his guitar. I open my mouth and sing:

**_I called you last night in the hotel_**

**_Everyone knows but they won't tell_**

**_But their half-hearted smiles tell me something just ain't right_**

**_I've been waiting on you for a long time_**

**_Fueling up on heartaches and cheap wine_**

**_I ain't heard from you in three damn nights_**

**_I put your picture away_**

**_I wonder where you've been_**

**_I can't look at you while I'm lying next to him_**

**_I put your picture away_**

**_I wonder where you've been_**

**_I can't look at you while I'm lying next to him_**

As Eva starts playing her interlude, Scott whispers to me, "Open your eyes, Ali." I do it, and it looks like everyone is enjoying the song. I hear Eva coming to the end of her interlude, and get ready for the part where Scott and I will sing together:

_**I saw you yesterday with an old friend** - (me)_

_**It was the same old same how have you been** - (Scott)_

_**Since you've been gone my world's been dark and gray** - (both of us)_

_**You reminded me of brighter days** - (Scott)_

_**I hoped you were coming home to stay** - (me)_

_**I was headed to church** - (me)_

_**I was off to drink you away** - (Scott)_

This rest of the song we sing together:

**_I thought about you for a long time_**

**_Can't seem to get you off my mind_**

**_I can't understand why we're living life this way_**

**_I found your picture today_**

**_I swear I'll change my ways_**

**_I just called to say I want you to come back home_**

**_I found your picture today_**

**_I swear I'll change my ways_**

**_I just called to say I want you to come back home_**

**_I just called to say I love you_**

**_Come back home_**

As we finish the song, he's looking me right in the eye and his face is inches from mine. I hold my breath, hoping, no, wanting him to kiss me. He starts to lean forward and my heart jumps into my throat; but then he tilts his head to the side and kisses my cheek. I smile at him, and try to hide my disappointment.

"You were astonishing, Ali. You could be a star with a voice like yours." he says as he takes off his guitar. He motions to the crowd; I hadn't noticed before, I was so caught up in the song, but everyone is clapping. He takes my hand and leads me off the stage. As we enter a little curtained off area between the stage and the crowd he stops and spins me to him. He reaches up and cups my chin with his hand, tilting my head up, then leans down and kisses me on the lips.

I'm so shocked that I just stand there and forget to kiss him back; which he takes the wrong way. "Sorry about that, Ali. I just...ah, Happy Birthday." he says before releasing my hand and running back on stage.

'Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! What was I doing? Why did I just stand there?' I think to myself. 'He finally kisses me, and I stand there like a mannequin.' I turn around and walk back to the table, cursing myself along the way.

Kitty jumps up and hugs me. "Oh my God, Alison, you were, like, totally amazing."

"Thanks."

"Yeah, girl, that was really somethin'." Anna says.

"Sure was." Danielle says.

"You were really good, Alison; that was wonderful." Jean says as she stands up. "Now, how about we get out of here? I've had enough of Scott Summers for one night."

I can tell by Jean's tone and the fact that everyone is following her lead, that there's no point in trying to convince her to stay. As we approach the door, I glance back at the stage; I swear Scott was just looking at me. '_Damnit!_' I think as I follow the girls out.

We hit another bar a few blocks away, but the music is too loud and there are too many creepy guys; so we leave our second drinks of the night half-full.

We decide to hit the strip club and head on over; I thought Kitty was going to give us away to the bouncer, the way she was trying to convince him that she was eighteen, but Jean uses a little bit of telepathic trickery to get us all in without a problem.

I can't believe how loud it is inside, or how many women there are. We're shown to a table near the stage, and Jean orders another pitcher of Margarita's. I try not to laugh, as a dancer approaches our table and Kitty tries her best not to stare at him. He pulls up a chair and talks to Jean, big surprise, before getting up and heading over to another table.

After Jean orders another pitcher, Anna gets up to go to the bathroom, and I accompany her; I need to tell someone what happened with Scott.

I wait for her to finish washing her hands, and then stop her from leaving. "Wait; I need to tell you something."

She turns to me and asks, "What is it, Sugah?"

"Scott kissed me." I blurt out.

"Yeah, we all saw." She says looking at me. "It was just a peck on the cheek."

"No, after that; when he lead me off stage, in the curtained off area, he kissed me."

"On the lips?"

"Yep."

"What did you say?"

"Nothing; I was too shocked. I even forgot to kiss him back."

"What?"

"I know." I say as I bury my face in my hands. "He caught me completely off guard and I froze."

"What happened?"

"He got all embarrassed, apologized, wished me happy birthday, and ran back on stage."

"Well, what are you gonna do now?"

"I don't know."

"Do you like him?"

"Come on, Anna, you're my best friend; you know I do."

"Well, if you do, then you better do somethin' soon, 'cause after seein' him on stage, I don't think he'll remain single much longer."

"What should I do?"

"Well, his show ain't over for another couple of hours, right? So I say, we get ourselves back out there and have some fun with the girls. I don't think Jean'll be drivin' us home tonight, so I'll suggest two cabs. Me'n you'll take one, while they take another; 'cept, ours will make a slight detour by the bar where Scott is. If he's still there, you get out and go talk to him, while I head home."

"I don't know, Anna; I don't think I can do it."

"Well if you don't, then I will; boy got me hotter then a bowl of Cajun chili."

"Anna!"

"What? It's the truth. I think you should count yourself lucky that I can't touch him; else I'd'a jumped him myself. It's not like I really like him the same way you do; I just got all hot and bothered watchin' him on stage."

"Okay; I'll do it. I'll talk to him tonight; even if I have to sneak into the boy's dorm to do it."

"Sounds like you wanna do a little more'n just talk to him." She says with a smile.

Before I can say anything, Kitty walks in. "There you two are. Please, please, please come back to the table; Jean's talking about getting me a private dance."

"So, what do you need us for?" Anna says, and I laugh.

"Ha, ha, not funny. Just please come back so she can focus on the fact that it's Alison's birthday, and stop trying to embarrass me to death."

"Alright." I say, as we start to follow Kitty back to the table. "Maybe we should just get her that private dance we owe her? It'll get her out of our hair for a while."

Two hours later, after a couple more rounds, being dragged on stage so that two dancers could embarrass me for my birthday, and Jean disappearing for thirty minutes with a dancer who looked a lot like Scott, we leave.

Sure enough, Anna convinces everyone that we need two cabs. Jean and Danielle help Kitty get into one, while I get into the other with Anna. She tells the driver to let the other cab go because we need to make a quick detour. As we pull up to the bar, we see that's it's already closed, and that most of the cars have left.

"Look, his car's still there." I point out to Anna.

"Okay; stop the car please." She tells the driver. "So, what are you waitin' for? Go." She says to me, practically pushing me out of the cab.

I take a deep breath and say, "Okay, I'm going to do this." Then I step out of the cab and head over to wait by Scott's car.

I watch as the cab pulls away with Anna, and turn my attention to the bar. '_Any minute now, he'll come out here._' I think to myself. '_And then what? Oh my God; what am I supposed to do then?_' I start to panic.

I start trying to imagine what to do when I see him. '_Ah, hi Scott; fancy meeting you here. No, no, no that's stupid._'

'_Hey Scott, I wanted to talk to you about that kiss. No, way too forward._'

'_Hi, Scott; I was wondering if maybe we could talk. Yeah, that's a good start. Then I can gradually ease into the topic of the kiss; that sounds good._'

I'm so busy thinking that I don't even notice the band come out and Scott walk over to me, until he says, "Ali, is everything okay?"

I look up and completely forget what I had planned to say; so instead I blurt out, "Hi, Scott. What's up?"

"Nothing much, we just finished our gig and were about to head out." He says looking at me closely. "Are you drunk?"

"Drunk? Me? No, not at all." I say quickly. "Well, maybe I'm a little tipsy; but drunk, no, never." I can barely stop myself from rambling.

"Where is everyone else?"

"Who?"

"The girls that you were out with. You know; Jean, Anna, Dani, Kitty."

"Oh, them." I laugh. "They went home."

"And they just left you here?"

"Anna did." I say before I realize how that sounds and add, "Well she didn't 'leave me' in that way; she had the cab drop me off here."

"Why?"

"Ah, because I, ah..." I start to stutter. "You see, ah, I wanted to, ah...That is, I was hoping, ah...What I'm trying to say is, ah..." At that moment, something inside me clicks, and even though I know his band mates are only a few feet away standing by Ricky's truck watching, I grab his shirt and pull him forward into a kiss.

I can tell he's surprised, because he doesn't do anything...for the first few seconds; then he wraps his arms around me and kisses me back. '_Oh my God, I'm kissing Scott Summers; and he's kissing me back._' I think.

When we break the kiss, I see a smile on his face. He looks over at his friends and says, "Ah, guys..."

"We'll talk to you tomorrow, Slim." Ricky says, "I gotta drive everyone else home."

"Yeah, bye Scott." Eric and Marco say together.

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do." Eva says with a laugh.

"There isn't really much that you wouldn't do, Ev." Scott says.

She smiles at him and winks, "I know."

They get in Ricky's truck and drive off, leaving Scott and me alone in the parking lot. He looks at me and says, "Ali..."

"Oh, shut up and kiss me again." I interrupt, as I pull him into another kiss; this time, though, he lifts me off my feet.

We make out for a few minutes before Scott suggests we head home. I climb into the passenger seat, with the worlds biggest smile plastered on my face, and keep glancing sideways at him as he drives.

"So, Ali, what just happened?" He asks.

"Well, I'm pretty sure we just made out; but I could be wrong." I tease.

"You know what I mean. What just happened between us? Why did you kiss me back there?"

"I seem to recall you were kissing me too; and besides, you kissed me first in the bar."

"Yeah." He says, and I can see him struggling to find the right words to say whatever it is he wants to say.

So I say, "Scott, I really like you; I like you a lot. I've liked you since that first night in the stables, if you can believe it."

"Why haven't you ever said anything?"

"Because you so obviously wanted Jean, that I never thought I stood a chance. Sometimes, you want that thing that you can't have, and never get it." We pull up to a red light and he looks at me. "Other times, you're lucky enough to get it."

"And sometimes, you realize that what you thought you wanted can't compare to what was right under your nose the whole time." He says as he reaches over and strokes my cheek. "I really like you too, Ali; and I'm sorry it took me so long to realize that." He leans over and gives me a quick kiss before the light turns green; but he holds my hand for the rest of the drive home.

We pull into the garage and park, and then make out some more in his car. After a good fifteen minutes, we finally get out, and Scott reaches for my hand. He turns to head into the mansion, but I pull him towards the door leading outside. "No, Scott, this way."

"Hunh?"

I release his hand and head outside; he follows me with a confused look on his face. "Follow me." I say as I take off running.

"Ali? Where are you going?" He asks as he starts running after me.

I know that he's faster then me, and will catch me in no time, but my destination is not that far; so I manage to make it to the stables just as he catches me. "In here." I say as I head inside.

He follows me inside and asks, "Ali, what are we doing here? Shouldn't we be heading back to the mansion? It's late."

I don't answer him; instead I grab his arm and pull him towards me as I let myself fall backwards into a pile of hay. He falls on top of me, and I wrap my arms and legs around him as I kiss him.

When we break our kiss, I look him in the eye and say, "Scott, I want you right now."

"I want you too, Ali." He replies as he looks around the stables. "But, this isn't really how I would have imagined it."

"But this is how I've always imagined it." I say. "This is where it all started for me; and almost all of my fantasies involve the two of us doing it in the stables."

"So, you've fantasized about me, hunh?" He says, and I can feel myself blushing. "Tell me more."

"How about I just show you." I say as I pull him into another kiss. This time, though, I reach down and start to pull up his tee shirt. He leans back and lets me lift it over his head, before we continue kissing. I start running my hands all over his back and chest, enjoying the feeling of his finely toned muscles; he's not overly built, just incredibly toned.

I roll him on to his back and sit up in his lap. I reach down and pull my top up over my head, before making quick work of my bra. I know I don't have large breasts, especially compared to Jean, but I think they're just the right size; just big enough to fit in a man's hands. Which is what I grab his hands and do.

The moment I place his hands on my breasts, I get a shock of excitement through my body, and I feel a tingle between my legs; I have to repress the urge to just rip the rest of our clothes off and mount him right then and there. He sits up and kisses me, while still fondling my breasts, as I run my hands through his long hair.

He stops kissing me and says, "Ali, get up."

I'm afraid that he's going to say we have to stop, so I plead, "Scott, no, please; I really want you."

He smiles and says, "I really want you too, Ali; just trust me, and get up."

I stand up and so does he. Then he takes my hand and leads me to the other side of the stables, where he reaches up and pulls down a ladder. "Up here." he says as he starts to climb. I follow him up, and take his hand, as he helps me onto a little floored off area in the rafters. "In the summer, when everyone goes home to see their families, I spend a lot of time here; so I decided to keep my spare sleeping roll and pillow up here." He says as he pulls the ladder up.

I glance over and see the sleeping roll and pillow propped up against the wall. "I see."

He undoes the sleeping roll and lays it out, open, then tosses the pillow down. "I figured that this would be more comfortable then an actual roll in the hay."

I breathe a sigh of relief when I realize that we're still going to do it, and that he's not trying to back out. I'm not sure what makes me ask him, "Scott, have you ever had sex before?"

"Yeah. You?"

"Yes. Does it bother you that I'm not a virgin?"

"No. Does it bother you that I'm not one either?"

"No. It's actually a relief; at least we won't be fumbling around trying to figure out what goes where." I say with a little giggle.

*****

"Ali, wake up." I hear Scott whisper in my ear the next mourning.

"Mmm, Scott..." I start to say, but he presses two fingers to my lips.

"Shhh. Someone's down in the stables." He whispers.

I listen carefully and can hear voices coming from below. "Hurry up already, Peter. I want to go riding before Scott wakes up and decides to have one of his Saturday Danger Room training sessions." I hear Kitty say.

"I am not minding the training sessions; they are good for us." Peter says.

"Of course, ya'll wouldn't mind, Sugah, you're built like a truck and can take a beatin'; but other then Logan, and for some odd reason Scott, the rest of us get worn out fast with all this trainin'." Anna says.

"Hey what's this?" Kitty asks. "It's a bra." I suddenly realize that in our haste, last night, we left some clothes on the floor below. "Hey, isn't this Alison's top?"

I cover my mouth to prevent any noise from escaping, and look over at Scott to see the same dread I'm feeling, reflected on his face.

"Wow, she must have been drunker then I thought." Kitty says. "I thought you said she went to bed when you got home, Anna?"

"I reckon she snuck out. Must have come down here and gotten topless, then found her way back to bed." Anna says.

"What is this?" Peter asks. "Whose shirt is this?"

"Oh my God; that's Scott shirt!" Kitty yells. "That's the shirt he was wearing last night." There is a moment of silence before Kitty yells, "Scott and Alison? Oh my God, Scott and Alison!"

"I am feeling confused, again. What about Scott and Alison?" Peter asks.

"Think about it, Peter; we find their clothes in the stables, they're both _mysteriously_ missing at breakfast, and no one has seen either of them since last night. Like, the two of them probably snuck in here last night and had sex." Kitty says.

"Really? I was not knowing that Scott and Alison were a couple." Peter says.

"No one knew, I guess." Kitty says. "Unless...Anna, have you been keeping secrets?"

"First of all, Kitty, I think ya'll are jumpin' to conclusions without any real proof, and secondly, anythin' anyone tells me in secret, is just that, a secret. I ain't told anyone about the two of you sneakin' off on your little '_ridin' trips_' to go make out on the other side of the lake, have I?"

Scott pulls his jeans on and makes his way to the edge of the platform. I'm wondering what he's doing, but he motions for me to stay where I am and stay quiet. "Can't a guy sleep in for once, without wild rumors spreading?" He says as he lowers the ladder and heads down.

"Scott?" Kitty says. "Ah, hey." Then she yells, "Mourning Alison!"

"Ali's not here, Kitty; she's probably zonked out in her room." Scott says.

"Right? Then what are her shirt and bra doing on the floor?" She asks.

"I don't know, you'll have to ask her; although I think she may have been too drunk to remember." Scott replies. "I got home really late after my show and decided to crash in here, rather then wake up half the mansion. I found Ali wondering around the grounds topless, so I gave her my shirt and told her to head to bed. That's the last I saw of her."

"Then how did your shirt end up here?" Kitty asks.

"I don't know; maybe she snuck back here after I fell asleep and took it off; you'll have to ask her that."

"Ya'll wouldn't mind if I just took a quick peek up there, would ya, Sugah?" Anna asks.

"Be my guest, Anna."

I can hear Anna climbing the ladder, and when I see her head appear, I smile and wave. She smiles back, before heading back down. "She ain't up there, Kitty; I told ya, ya'll was jumpin' to conclusions." I can hear a slap on flesh and wonder what just happened.

"Well, now that I'm up; who feels like hitting the Danger Room?" Scott asks.

"Ooohhh; I knew this would happen." Kitty says.

"I'll tell you what, Kitty; I'll make you a deal. I'll forget about the Danger Room for today, and about what I heard about your little '_riding trips_' with Pete, if you promise not to tell anyone that you found me sleeping in the stables." Scott says.

"Deal." Kitty replies.

"Oh, and also, don't tell anyone what I told you about Ali, please; she was a little drunk, and it was her birthday."

"Okay, I promise. Can we go riding now?"

"Knock yourselves out." Scott says. "Anna, please tell me that they don't make you ride with them and just wait there?"

"No, I come out here and then sneak back to my room, so everyone thinks I'm gone with them." Anna replies.

"Scott, here." Peter says.

"Thanks Pete."

"Ah, Kitty, maybe you should give me Alison's stuff. I'll drop it off when I go check on her later." Anna says.

I hear the doors open and two horses trot out. A few minutes later, Scott appears at the top of the ladder and hands me my clothes. "Here you go. The coast is clear, whenever you're ready."

I get dressed and head down the ladder. "Thanks for covering for us, Anna." I say.

"Aw, shucks; what are best friends for?" she says.

"Yeah, I appreciate it, Anna. Although, the slap on the back was a little uncalled for." Scott says.

Anna laughs. "I'm sorry, Sugah; but when I saw scratch marks on your back, I couldn't resist." She turns to me and says, "I knew you wanted to do more then just talk to him, last night."

"Well, we did talk; but then one thing led to another." I say with a smile.

"So what now?" Anna asks.

Before I can reply, Scott says, "Well, I think we'd both like it if we could keep 'us' quiet for a little while. It would be nice to have some time without everyone asking us questions and whispering about us."

"So, there is an 'us' now?" Anna asks, and I know she's only asking for my sake, because she knows I would tell her everything later, anyways.

"Yeah...I mean; I think there is." He replies, before looking at me. "Isn't there?"

I walk over and take his hand. "You bet there is."

He smiles and leans down to kiss me. "Okay, stop that. I don't want you guys tearin' each others clothes off and doin' it right here in front of me." Anna says.

Scott looks at me and says, "Why don't you sneak back with Anna, while I head in through the garage? I should be able to draw enough attention to make it easy for you guys to get in unseen; that is if people have been told about me being in a band."

"Oh, they know, alright." Anna says. "Kitty told everyone at breakfast."

"Great." He says, before kissing me one last time and heading for the door.

"Scott?" I call out.

"Yeah?"

"Can I see you later?"

"Sure. I'm going to grab a quick shower, then a bite to eat before hitting the gym. Why don't you meet me after my workout?"

"See you then." I say as I blow him a kiss.

"Can't wait." He says before leaving.

I look over at Anna, who is shaking her head. "This secret ain't gonna last through the weekend."

*****

After managing to sneak into my room, I take a long shower and change, before heading to the kitchen to grab a bite to eat. Almost everyone I see is talking about the news that Scott is in a band. I decide to head down to the gym and see if Scott is finished his workout. When I look into the gym, it's empty; so I head over to the locker rooms, intending to knock and see if he's there.

As I approach the men's locker room, I hear voices; and one of them is female. I stand next to the door and listen. "...sorry; but I thought you were going to narc on us and ruin our night." I hear Jean say.

'_Why is Jean in the men's locker room?_' I think.

"Jean, you know me better then that. And, I'm sorry about last night, too; I was just embarrassed when I saw you girls there." Scott says.

"Why were you embarrassed? You were hot." Jean says.

'_Did she just say hot?_'

"I never knew there was that side to you, Scott; it made me think about things. It made me think about you." She says.

'_Oh no, Jean; please, no. Don't be interested in him now, please._'

"Ah, Jean..." Scott says.

"Don't pretend that you don't know what I'm talking about, Scott. I know you've wanted me for years, but you never let me see the real you, until last night; so I didn't know what I was missing." Jean says.

'_Oh God, no. Why, Jean? Why now? Why when I thought I finally had him, do you decide that you want him too?_'

"Jean, stop it; please." Scott says.

"Why stop, Scott? I want to give you so much more then just a kiss." Jean says, and my heart breaks.

"Because, I _don't_ want, Jean. I thought I did, but you're too late; I'm with someone else now." Scott says, and suddenly, my heart is back in one piece and trying to burst through my chest.

"So what? Break it off; I'll break it off with Trevor, and we can be together."

"No, Jean; I'm sorry, but I really care for this girl, and I want to be with her."

"Who is it? Please tell me you're not back together with that bimbo, Eva."

"First off, Ev is not a bimbo, she's a really good friend of mine, and I'd appreciate it if you'd stop calling her that. And secondly, it's none of your business who I'm dating."

"Fine then; you're loss, Slim." Jean says, as she opens the door and nearly walks into me. She looks at me, then back to Scott, and then back to me, and says, "You, Alison? You and Scott?"

Before I can answer, Scott puts an arm around my shoulders, pulls me closer to him, and says, "Yes, Jean; it's Ali."

She looks at the two of us and says, "I'm really sorry about what just happened. I didn't know it was you Alison; I just thought it was some groupie bimbo. I'm so sorry." She turns and walks away.

When she's gone I turn to Scott. "Ali, I'm sorry about that. Jean cornered me in there and..."

"I know; I heard most of it." I reply.

"Ah, Ali, I think you should know that she kissed me...and I kinda kissed her back."

"Yeah, I heard that part too."

"I'm sorry, Ali; it won't happen again."

"It's okay, Scott. I heard what you told her, and I'm okay with it. I don't blame you for kissing her; you've wanted her for years."

"But that's in the past; I want you now."

I place my hand on his chest and push him back into the locker room. "As in '_right now_'?"

"Ali? Someone could walk in at any moment."

"Not likely." I say as I push him deeper into the room. "It's Saturday afternoon, and there's no scheduled training session. Everyone is top side, enjoying the beautiful weather; no one is coming down here for a long time."

We reach the back wall and Scott says, "Ah, one little problem, Ali. I don't keep protection in my gym locker, and the Professor didn't install condom dispensers in here."

I reach into my jeans pocket and pull out a condom. "Don't worry; I came prepared." I say as I kiss him.

*****

We sneak out of the locker room, some time later, and head upstairs. "Good thing there was a shower in the locker room." I say.

"Definitely." Scott replies.

As we get to the door leading to the mansion, Scott stops and turns to face me. "You know, it's possible that Jean has already told people about us."

"The thought had occurred to me."

"So, we may walk out there and have to deal with all the stupid questions and comments that people are going to make."

"Well, we knew we would have to eventually."

"Yeah." he says with a sigh. He turns and puts his hand on the door. "You know, we really should go out on a date eventually."

"I know." I reply as I pinch his butt. "But I've been having too much fun."

He opens the door, and we head into the mansion to face our friends hand-in-hand.

**THE END**

* - _Picture_ is a song by _Kid Rock_ form his album _Cocky_, featuring _Sheryl Crow_. (Something else that I do not own)


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